Your Guide to the Perfect Midsize-City Vacation

Hit New Orleans on any given Saturday and you will not want for live-music options.

Jim West

Say No to the Big-City Weekend

Okay, a last-minute, let’s-go-nuts escape has you thinking about a major city. New York? L.A.? Maybe Miami? But they’re too big—too unwieldy for first-timers; too much potential FOMO even if you’ve been before. No, what you want for this long weekend of freewheeling (and free-boozing) fun is a medium-big, mid-country metropolis. One that’ll hug you at the door, then send you home Sunday with a pat on the ass and a couple of aspirin for the hangover. We’re talking towns like Dallas (a surprising southern art scene), Denver (for a true Rocky Mountain high), Nashville (shop hard, rock harder), New Orleans (pictured, land of
carryout daiquiris and free-range brass bands). You can get a feel for these places fast, and the locals won’t gawk at outsiders so much as point you to their favorite bars. Also key: Flights are fairly cheap, and the airports run with a startling, machinelike
smoothness. (Take note, JFK.) So which city? If you’re stumped, download the Songkick app, which scans your music library (including Spotify listens) and spits back your favorite bands’ tour schedules. There: Now Saturday night’s covered.—Jon Wilde

(From Left) Dinner is served at a crawfish boil. | City size is key to a weekend escape. You should be able to tackle a good chunk of the downtown in a couple of days. Good
public transit helps. Left to right: Gallery stock; Cedric Angeles/Intersection Photos.

Google Flights Is the World’s Best Travel Agent

Sometimes you need to know how far away your budget can take you, and in these moments, Google Flights is your new friend. The site maps destinations, complete with the cost of airfare. Just find a locale where the right price-to-intrigue ratio catches your eye. There goes any excuse for another staycation.

Since 1957, GQ has inspired men to look sharper and live smarter with its unparalleled coverage of style, culture, and beyond. From award-winning writing and photography to binge-ready videos to electric live events, GQ meets millions of modern men where they live, creating the moments that create conversations.